2017 Shortlist Announced
Congratulations to all nominees for the 2017 KOALA Awards. You can download the full shortlist here.
Don't Call Me Bear!
Anonymous
It was interesting on so many levels. I loved the illustration and I’m sure everyone would agree. The books were awesome and the authors, to meet them was unbelievable.
Isla
I really like the ‘Don’t Call Me Bear’ act, it was really funny.
Sidney
This ceremony was amazing. The authors were so inspiring and the stories were heart-warming and exciting.
Anonymous
The ceremony was amazing. I loved the authors’ stories and I love all the authors’ books.
Taylah
It was the BEST ceremony. My favourite thing was the time machine stories.
Lilah
I loved all the stories and I loved meeting the authors and watching live drawing.
Amelie
I loved meeting all the authors and illustrators and getting their signatures.
Wil
It was a great experience for me because I love reading and I like Morris Gleitzman. It was amazing.
Rafi
I loved it because I love reading. I only wish Andy Griffiths was there. I hope I go next time.
Tilly
Loved the time travel stories and the cake looked delicious. I was a bit disappointed that Andy and Terry didn’t come, still it was great. I loved getting signatures; it was exciting to get books signed. It was the best.
Emily
The ceremony was so exciting. It was interesting what the authors’ stories were about: where would they time travel to? They were so inspiring. My favourite part was meeting the authors. I loved the KOALA awards and hopefully I get invited again next year.
Kaya
That was the BEST, AWESOME day in my life! I hope I get invited again next year!
Jade
Best ceremony ever!!!
Richard Tulloch's Birthday Song
Koalas are lazy, koalas are dumb -
They hang round all day,
They just sit on their…gum trees
In zoos they look cute but you should understand
If you cuddle a koala, it’ll piddle on your hand.
But there’s one koala ahead of the rest
Of all the koalas
It’s clearly the best
You maybe can guess what I’m working towards…
The Kids’ Own Australian Li-tera-ture Awards.
KOALA has given young readers a voice
For thirty years now
They have told us their choice
Their favourite books all appear on a list
And we authors can eat a nice lunch and get…blist-ers (on our fingers from signing lots of autographs and doing nice drawings and playing the guitar…)
So let’s thank KOALA for all that they do -
The committee, the teachers
And the kids too
We hope it continues for many years long
Now let’s sing KOALA that old birthday song…
MACC CHAT - Mount Annan Christian College
A Whirlwind Journey from St Andrew's Cathedral School
We had an amazing whirlwind journey to friendly Blackheath Public last week for the KOALA Awards Day and loved every second of it.
Thank you again for making it possible for our students to share their love of reading and get up-close and personal with their heroes.
Our Stage 2 and 3 Book Club members (which have more than doubled in size from last year… word got around we go to KOALA and it’s fantastic!) were in attendance again this year and would like to pass on their thanks…
Chris from 5M wrote:
“KOALA is a very fun event. At KOALA you get to meet authors like Morris Gleitzman, author of Boy overboard. My favourite part was when we had the author’s answer a time travel related question because it was interesting hearing their thoughts on various historical events.”
Adriana from 4L wrote:
“The experience of seeing lots of authors was fun. I loved this year’s KOALA awards. When we first got there a kind lady showed us to the book store. The school was very welcoming. After everybody finished buying books we went to go listen to the author’s do their speeches. Finally it was prize time. Two of our Book Clubers Harry and Jackson got to touch Morris Gleitzman’s hand as they handed him an award. Last of all they said if you got a gold sticker on your programme you would get an envelope and people who got a blue sticker got to get a book called Charlie and the war against the Grannies. I won the book which I really enjoyed. Then with a pleasant good bye from the school we left back for school. It was another 2 hours but it was worth it!”
Rishita from 3/4O and Danielle from 3F together wrote: “We hopped on a bus and it drove for 2 hours until we reached Blackheath. Then we bought books. At the start of the ceremony we watched a fabulous play. We loved the play and our favourite authors were Jacqueline Harvey and Deborah Abela. It was so worth going. You should go too! Even though it was a very long way away.”
Nicolas from 3F said: “I enjoyed watching all the authors doing their speeches and I liked David Legge draw the rabbit reading.”
Liam from 6W wrote: “It was a great day, and I loved hearing the authors’ answers to the question “Where would you go if you could travel through time?” We were also lucky to win 30 books for the library.”
Daniel from 3F wrote: “I really enjoyed the KOALA awards because I got to meet authors and illustrators. I also loved David Legge draw on the white board.”
Bronte from 5T said: “Even though it was a long 4 hour journey and we only got 2 hours at KOALA, it was worth it!”
Ollie from 3/4R wrote: “I liked the illustrator drawing the picture.”
Jo from 5T said: “I really liked the KOALA awards. Even though it was a 4 hour journey, it was worth it. We got to see awesome authors like Emily Rodda. It was awesome!”
Cecilia from 5T wrote: “I loved the KOALA awards even though it was a long trip at least I got to meet my favourite authors like Emily Rodda and Morris Gleitzman.”
Elle from 5/6L said: “KOALA was awesome. We saw lots of famous authors including Aaron Blabey, Emily Rodda, Morris Gleitzman and Deborah Abela.”
Ella from 3F said: “It is very fun, you can buy books and you can get your books signed. My favourite book is Alice-Miranda by Jacqueline Harvey. I also enjoyed the painting, it was amazing! I love KOALA.”
Danny from 6RA said: “I enjoyed seeing all the authors.”
Emily from 3F said: “We got to buy books and the author’s even signed our books, it was very fun! I really liked when some students from Blackheath School performed.”
Jackson from 6W wrote: “I enjoyed handing the gift to Morris Gleitzman.”
And Harry from 6RO also agreed saying: “I enjoyed giving the award to Morris Gleitzman.”
Thank you and we look forward to next year!
Svetlana Paul
Junior School and Gawura Teacher Librarian
FOCUS ON FICTION FOR YEARS 7-9
A Waltz forMatildaby Jackie French (Harper Collins)
In 1894, twelve-year-old Matilda flees the city slums to find her unknown father and his farm. But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he's wanted by the troopers. In front of his terrified daughter, he makes a stand against them, defiant to the last. 'You'll never catch me alive, said he...' Set against a backdrop of bushfire, flood, war and jubilation, this is the story of one girl's journey towards independence.
Chapter Excerpt ~ Author's Website ~ Teachers' Notes ~ Book Review
Loyal Creaturesby Morris Gleitzman(Penguin Books)
Like many of his mates from the bush, Frank Ballantyne is keen to join the grand adventure and do his bit. Specially as a chest full of medals might impress the currently unimpressed parents of his childhood sweetheart. So Frank ups his age and volunteers with his horse Daisy ... and his dad.
In the deserts of Egypt and Palestine he experiences all the adventure he ever wanted, and a few things he wasn't expecting. Heartbreak, love and the chance to make the most important choice of his life. From Gallipoli to the famous charge at Beersheba, through to the end of the war and its unforgettable aftermath, Frank's story grows out of some key moments in Australia's history.
Read or Listen to Chapter 1 ~ Teachers' Notes ~ Author's Website
Nona & Meby Claire Atkins (Black Inc Books)
Rosie and Nona are sisters. Yapas.
They are also best friends. It doesn't matter that Rosie is white and Nona is Aboriginal: their family connections tie them together for life.
Born just five days apart in a remote corner of the Northern Territory, the girls are inseperable, until Nona moves away at the age of nine. By the time she returns, they're in Year 10 and things have changed. Rosie has lost interest in the community, preferring to hang out in the nearby mining town, where she goes to school with the glamorous Selena, and Selena's gorgeous older brother Nick.
When a political announcement highlights divisions between the Aboriginal community and the mining town, Rosie is put in a difficult position: will she be forced to choose between her first love and her oldest friend?
Author's Website ~ YouTube Interview with Claire Atkins ~ Radio Interview ~ Teachers' Notes
Soon by Morris Gleitzman (Penguin Books)
The Second World War has officially ended, but the streets are still a battleground - for food, for shelter, for protection...Felix is in hiding to stay safe, but finds he has been left holding the baby - literally. An orphaned infant has been left in his care and he will do everything he can to protect the child, in the way a few incredible people did for him during the Holocaust.
This powerfully moving addition to Morris Gleitzman's bestselling series about Felix and Zelda takes place in 1945, following the story told in After.
Read or Listen to Chapter 1 ~ Morris Gleitzman Speaks about Soon ~ Book Review ~ Author's Website
Naveed by John Heffernan (edited by Lyn White) (Allen & Unwin)
The explosion jolts him awake. He sits up, gasping for air, heart thumping.
Was the blast real? Perhaps it had only happened in his head, a bad dream. Demons of the dark, his father had called them. 'Push them away. They'll only poison your thoughts. Seek the light and they can't hurt you.'
Naveed is sick of war - of the foreign powers and the Taliban, the warlords and the drug barons that together have torn Afghanistan apart. He's had to grow up quickly to take care of his widowed mother and little sister, making what little money he can doing odd jobs and selling at the markets. When he adopts Nasera, a street dog with extraordinary abilities, he has a chance to help rebuild his country. But will a new friend's betrayal crush his dreams of peace forever?
From the winter of war comes the spring of hope.
Read an Excerpt ~ Book Trailer ~ Teachers' Notes ~ Author's Website
Don't Call Me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer (Scholastic Australia)
There’s no easy way to put this, so I’ll say it straight out.
It’s time I faced up to the truth.
I’m fourteen years old and I have Ishmael Leseur’s Syndrome.
There is no cure.
But that won’t stop Ishmael and his intrepid band of misfits from taking on bullies, bugs, babes, the Beatles, debating and the great white whale in the toughest, the weirdest, the most humiliatingly awful – and best – year of their lives!
Teachers' Notes ~ Book Review ~ Author's Website
My Life As an Alphabet by Barrie Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin)
This isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people [with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish] who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.
Introducing Candice Phee: twelve years old, hilariously honest and a little . odd. But she has a big heart, the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to ensure everyone is happy. So she sets about trying to 'fix' all the problems of all the people [and pets] in her life.
Laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully touching, My Life as an Alphabet is a delightful novel about an unusual girl who goes to great lengths to bring love and laughter into the lives of everyone she cares about.
Book Review ~ Author's Website ~ Teachers' Notes ~ Read an Excerpt
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood (Pan Macmillan Australia)
Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door.
His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...
Author's Website ~ Teachers' Notes ~ Author Interview about Six Impossible Things
The Last Thirteen : 1 by James Phelan (Scholastic Australia)
13 books. 13 nightmares. 1 destiny.
Are you one of them?
I can’t run anymore. The race is ending.
Sam makes a shocking discovery about the last 13 that will change everything. The shattering revelation will set the race on a dangerous course, more terrifying than even his worst nightmares.
With the world into turmoil and their enemies circling closer, the last 13 assemble in Egypt to take their place in the prophecy. Can they all make it to the end or will the power beyond the Dream Gate be lost to evil forever?
The last 13 is complete. The battle ends now.
Series Website ~ Series Book Trailer ~ Author's Website ~ Interview with James Phelan
Zafir by Prue Mason (edited by Lyn White)(Allen & Unwin)
Zafir has a comfortable life in Homs, Syria, until his father, a doctor, is arrested for helping a protester who was campaigning for revolution. While his mother heads to Damascus to try to find out where his father is being held, Zafir stays with his grandmother - until her house is bombed. With his father in prison, his mother absent, his grandmother ill and not a friend left in the city, Zafir must stay with his Uncle Ghazi. But that too becomes dangerous as the city becomes more and more besieged. Will Zafir survive long enough to be reunited with his parents?
Book Trailer ~ Teachers' Notes ~ Author's Website ~ Book Review
Mount Victoria Public School
Mount Victoria Public School parents have created this gorgeous KOALA display in their school hall.
And the poster looks great in the Library too!
Richmond Tweed Regional Library
Our Public Library Friends have been busy promoting KOALA. Thank you Ballina, Byron Bay and Lennox Head Branches for sharing these wonderful displays.
Focus on Fiction for Younger Readers
Alice Miranda at Camp by Jacqueline Harvey(Random House)
This school camp is full of secrets and surprises!
An exciting announcement has been made and Alice-Miranda and her schoolmates are going on camp. There are sleep outs, treasure hunts and so many other activities to look forward to! However, it's not all fun and games. Alice-Miranda and Millie will need to keep a close eye on Caprice, the school's newest student, who seems determined to cause trouble. Series teaching notes ~ PRC 3-4 Booklist #9176 ~ Reading Time Interview
Billie B Brown: The Second Best Friend by Sally Rippin and Aki Fukuoka(Hardie Grant)
Billie has always been best friends with Jack. But now Rebecca wants to be her best friend. Will Billie have to choose? Who will end up The Second-best Friend? Billy B Brown website ~PRC 3-4 Booklist #33007
Diary of a Track and Field Titan by Shamini Flint and Sally Heinrich(Allen and Unwin)
Marcus is a maths whiz who is not good at sport. His dad is a self-help author who thinks Marcus can achieve anything he sets his mind to...with hilarious results. In illustrated diary format, Marcus's gentle, satiric humour and comic drawings will have readers laughing out loud while learning a surprising amount about sport. Book Extract
Don’t Look Now Book 4 by Paul Jennings and Andrew Weldon(Allen and Unwin)
At last, Ricky is friends with Samantha. But he still wants to be FAMOUS. Find out if he can finally realise his dream even though he can't let anyone see him fly. Videos ~ Review ~ Talks and articles by and about Paul
EJ Spy School: Puppy Alert! by Susannah McFarlane and Dyani Stagg(Scholastic)
Emma Jacks is Agent EJ10. She goes to Spy School. EJ10 is learning how to rescue animals, but a puppy goes missing … Can EJ10 find her? EJ Spy School Website ~ Colouring Activity ~ Read a chapter ~ PRC 3-4 Booklist #4649
Ella and Olivia: Sports Carnival by Yvette Poshoglian and Danielle McDonald(Scholastic)
Ella and Olivia have been training hard for their school sports carnival! But can their team win the best-ever grand prize?Ella and Olivia website
Ghost Club 2: The Haunted School by Deborah Abela(Random House)
Angeline and Edgar have to go to their Senior School sleepover, but Angeline is dreading having to talk to the other kids.
The night goes wrong when a ghost appears in the old boarding school dormitory where they are camped out. Their classmates are terrified — and Principal Prim is not happy!
With the help of Ghost Club, Angeline and Edgar must find out who the ghost is so they can help her — but first they have to convince their school principal that kids can be ghost catchers too; and they have to avoid Travis the bully, who is spying on them — and causing trouble wherever they go.Ghost Club trailer ~ Teaching Notes ~ Writers Talk interviews ~ PRC 3-4 Booklist #35226
The Bad Guys Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey(Scholastic)
They sound like the Bad Guys, they look like the Bad Guys ... and they even smell like the Bad Guys.But Mr Wolf, Mr Piranha, Mr Snake and Mr Shark are about to change all of that! Mr Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. The gang are going to break 200 dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr Snake please spit out Mr Piranha? Trailer ~ Story Box Library Meet Aaron Blabey ~ Teaching Notes ~ PRC 3-4 Booklist #10059
The Vanilla Slice Kid by Adam Wallace & Jack Wodhams and Tom Gittus (Hybrid)
Archie Cunningham is a shy boy who has three things – incredibly mean and greedy parents, no friends, and an amazing power. An uploaded video shows the world what Archie can do, and he suddenly becomes the main ingredient in a recipe for world domination. Which is when the fun really begins! ALEA Review ~ About Adam video
You Choose: Alien Invaders from Beyond the Stars by George Ivanoff(Random House)
Protector of planet Earth or abduction by extra-terrestrials!
You see strange lights in the night sky one night. It’s a flying saucer, just like in the movies. Inside are lizard aliens – disguised as humans. They have come to invade the planet Earth. You want to resist but your actions may lead to the destruction of humankind . . . Do you have what it takes to save the world? Or will the aliens unleash their ultimate weapon? A thank you from George ~ The Bottom Shelf blog ~ STUDIO3 Interview ~ STUDIO3 Interview 2 ~ George Ivanoff Ice Bucket Challenge
Download the category poster here
FOCUS ON PICTURE BOOKS
Below are some links to help you and your students get to know the ten picture books for 2016. Download the poster here.
Green Tree Frogs by Sandra Kendell (Windy Hollow Books)
Each year monsoonal rains sweep across the Top End and the green tree frogs clamber from their hiding places to feed, breed and sing! 'Green Tree Frogs' is an affectionate celebration of these cheeky characters and of life in the wet season. It also provides an entertaining insight into the amphibious life cycle. Teaching Notes ~ CBCA 2016 Notable
Max by Marc Martin (Penguin)
Max and Bob are old friends. Max helps out in Bob's shop, and in the evenings they go fishing together. Until one summer, when everything changes . . .
From the winner of the 2013 Crichton Award for Australia's best new illustrator comes this heart-warming story of enduring friendship.
And chips. Author Video ~ Review
Mr Huff by Anna Walker (Penguin)
Mr. Huff is a story about the clouds and the sunshine in each of our lives. Bill is having a bad day. Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem difficult. Bill tries to get rid of him, but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger! Then they both stop, and a surprising thing happens . . .
Mr Huff Teaching Notes ~ More Teaching Notes ~ Trailer ~ Story Box Library Meet Anna ~ CBCA 2016 Shortlist: Early Childhood ~ PRC 3-4 Booklist #9806
Pig the Fibber by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic)
Pig the Pug is back, and this time, he’s telling big porky pies! He ruins a wedding dress and makes a mess of the house, and each time, he blames poor Trevor for his naughty deeds. And now it’s time for his most naughty plan! Will he ever learn? Teaching Notes ~ Story Box Library Meet Aaron Blabey ~ Aaron draws Pig the Pug ~ PRC K-2 Booklist #23879
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan (Hachette)
RULES OF SUMMER, is a deceptively simple story about two boys, one older and one younger, and the kind of ‘rules’ that might govern any relationship between close friends or siblings. Rules that are often so strange or arbitrary, they seem impossible to understand from the outside. Yet through each exquisite illustration of this nearly wordless narrative, we can enjoy wandering around an emotional landscape that is oddly familiar to us all. Videos and Teachers’ Guide ~ Story Box Library Reading ~ The App ~ PRC 5-6 Booklist #1883
The Fearsome Frightening Ferocious Box by Frances Watts and David Legge (Harper Collins)
Open the box, if you dare, But danger lies within: Beware! So taunts the mysterious and frightening voice from within a large wooden box, which we see tumble off the back of a truck, but don’t know what creature it contains. The box presents a curious mystery and challenge to both the reader and to a variety of animals that approach it, tempted to find out what is inside. Teaching Notes ~ PRC K-2 Booklist #46564
The Stone Lion by Margaret Wild and Rita Voutila (Little Hare)
Sometimes statues are granted a chance to become warm, breathing creatures. The stone lion has only one dream—to run, pounce, and leap in the park across from where he sits. But one snowy night, when a baby is abandoned at his paws, he is compelled to think differently. Teaching Notes ~ Story Box Library Reading ~ PRC 3-4 Booklist #14887
The Very Noisy Bear by Nick Bland (Scholastic)
The Very Cranky Bear and his friends are back! There’s music in the air in the Jingle Jangle Jungle! Can Bear’s friends help him find the perfect instrument to play? Teaching Notes ~ Patch Theatre Teaching Notes ~ CBCA 2016 Notable ~ PRC K-2 Booklist #6291
Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic)
Thelma is an ordinary pony who longs to be more. One day, she spots a carrot on the ground and comes up with a brilliant idea! She ties it to her head, just before a skidding truck spills pink paint and glitter all over her!
Presto! Thelma is a unicorn!
Thelma quickly rises to fame, but does she really want all the attention? Or would she be happier as her old self again? Teaching Notes ~ Aaron reads Thelma ~ HOT Comprehension Resource ~ PRC K-2 Booklist #1697
Too Many Cheeky Dogs by Johanna Bell and Dion Beasley (Allen and Unwin)
A heart-warming story about a bunch of naughty camp dogs and their mischievous adventures. Join them in a romp through numbers, colours and days of the week but be careful… the dogcatcher might get you!
Too Many Cheeky Dogs for Educators (video and notebook file)
Children's Choice Book Awards - The REAL Awards
In partnership with YABBA (VIC), KROC (NT) and COOL (ACT), KOALA seeks to provide children a voice within the general Australian children’s book industry. Our combined efforts contribute to the annual REAL Awards (Reading and Enjoying Australian Literature). The shortlist is created in collaboration with student nominations from these states and territories.
The shortlist poster is now out! Members get one sent free and others can order 3 for $10. Email answers@yabba.org.au for details. You can also download the pdf version here.
Thank you to Andrew Weldon for donating the fabulous art work this year and to our poster sponsors YABBA and www.LibraryMonitor.net
KOALA 2016 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to all nominees for the 2016 KOALA Awards. You can download the full shortlist here.
SHORTLIST POSTER FOR YEARS 7 TO 9 2016
SHORTLIST POSTER FOR OLDER READERS 2016
SHORTLIST POSTER FOR YOUNGER READERS 2016
SHORTLIST POSTER FOR PICTURE STORYBOOKS 2016
Vale Kim Gamble: KOALA Legend 2007, now and forever
Kim first appeared on a KOALA shortlist in 1993 for The Magnificent Nose and other Marvels - the beginning of his great partnership with author Anna Fienberg. Many of his other books such as Horrendo's Curse, The Hottest Boy who ever lived, and some of the stories about Minton were also all shortlisted. However, his most popular books in the KOALA Awards were the stories about Tashi written by Anna and her mother Barbara. Sometimes three Tashi books were shortlisted in the same year. In 2003, The Big, Big, Big Book of Tashi won a Kids Own Australian Literature Award in the Younger Readers Category.
Kim regularly attended Awards Day and on several occasions was our resident artist. Students (and teachers) watched spellbound as a fabulous picture of Tashi unfolded in some amazing scene. It always felt like a little bit of magic was being created in front of us when we were lucky enough to have Kim visit. The last time Kim drew for us was at The Monkey Baa Theatre at the 2012 Awards Day.
Kim also happily provided illustrations for our KOALA bookmark, 21st birthday library bag and special birthday invitations. In 2007, Kim Gamble was honoured as a KOALA Legend for his dedication and generous support of KOALA. By then, fourteen of his illustrated books had been shortlisted.
Kim will be a KOALA Legend now and forever.
AWARDS DAY 2015 - A movie in the making!
Christian Garcia from Soul Candy Media writes:
As a startup, we believe in sharing and contributing towards our greater community.
Each year, Soul Candy Media works with a local community project and/or non-profit organisation and we are proud to have sponsored a fantastic non-profit organisation - Kids Own Australian Literature Awards aka KOALA; and captured their 2015 KOALA Awards Day at Newington College today.
KOALA promotes and encourages the appreciation of Australian literature for children and young adults. Readers from all over NSW are involved as they share their views on their favourite literature and vote for their favourite Australian authors and illustrators.
It was such a great experience to have been part of the KOALA Awards. Seeing students from various Sydney schools cheer, meet and connect with each other, with the authors and illustrators that inspire them was simply amazing. On top of that, interviewing the authors and illustrators and sharing their insights, why they love what they do and the messages they have for kids' storytelling was even more powerful.
Thank you to the KOALA team, Newington College Stanmore, the authors, illustrators and of course all students for a fantastic day.
We can't wait to put all this together!
SHORTLIST POSTER FOR OLDER READERS 2015
